Yavapai Downs under threat.

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by AZWrobel

TuP does a hell of a job advertising and marketing. They really have done a great job bringing in different types of crowds. They run friday twilight racing with live band, they are always advertising in the papers and they have a really good website.

That may be so, but the problem is that I dare not enter it. When I do a search on Google and bring Tup up, my anti-virus (Norton 2011) flags the site as unsafe, with 3 identified computer threats.

[BlueShoe]

Governor Brewer vetoed the bill that would have continued non profit tax status for Yavapai Downs. In spite of this, YD still plans to open as scheduled on May 28. At this time, the future of the embattled track seems very much in doubt.
www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1086&articleID=9 3248

[craigbraddick]

Hi People:

I can assure you all the 2011 meet will take place as scheduled.

We are working with all levels of state and local government at the moment and have many good people on our side working for us.

Stay tuned!

Craig

[AZWrobel]

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Sec...rticleID=94027

As one of my local tracks this is very dissapointing but doesn't come as a total shock. The last few years there have been very unsettled financially and with management. I'll be hoping for the best... Always enjoyed the Pai'

[garyscpa]

Originally Posted by AZWrobel

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Sec...rticleID=94027

As one of my local tracks this is very dissapointing but doesn't come as a total shock. The last few years there have been very unsettled financially and with management. I'll be hoping for the best... Always enjoyed the Pai'

Sounds bad. Good luck, Craig.

[AZWrobel]

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Sec...rticleID=94090

Here's another quick update on the situation in Northern Arizona. Yavapai Downs is on life support and its last hours now appear to be numbered. What a shame for the horsemen and recently hired management who will not be able to have the opportunity to revitalize the track. Arizona racing in all aspects will suffer immensely.

[BlueShoe]

Grim. Have to be concerned about the Arizona horsemen that were pointing towards this meeting, the loss of hundreds of jobs, and the negative effect the track closing will have on the local economy. Arizona does have racing at a few county fairs, but these are very short, only about four days at each one. Sun Ray, at Farmington, NM races until mid July, now the only track going full time in the Southwest. Ruidoso starts its meeting this coming weekend. The California fair circuit is less than a month away, so may see more than the usual amount of Arizona runners there this year. The problem could be that many of the horsemen cannot afford to ship their stables to New Mexico or California. Gain one, lose one is what we may have in the West. Les Bois Park in Idaho seems to have been reborn and coming back, while Yavapai could be gone. To most on these forums, small remote, minor tracks are of no interest or concern, but as racing fans perhaps they should be. With racings problems, track closings, no matter how small or remote, is a disturbing trend.

[sandpit]

This is sad. There was a gal that worked as a placing judge about a decade ago who was just a joy to talk to, and she had to put up with a lot of tedious stuff from me every day. Can't recall her name now, but I believe her husband was either the starter or worked on the gate crew. Nice people that deserve better than what is happening.

[Cardus]

I was at Yavapai on HANA Day two summers ago and I liked the place, and the background scenery (mountains in the distance at 10,000+ feet) was phenomenal.

[AZWrobel]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

Grim. Have to be concerned about the Arizona horsemen that were pointing towards this meeting, the loss of hundreds of jobs, and the negative effect the track closing will have on the local economy. Arizona does have racing at a few county fairs, but these are very short, only about four days at each one. Sun Ray, at Farmington, NM races until mid July, now the only track going full time in the Southwest. Ruidoso starts its meeting this coming weekend. The California fair circuit is less than a month away, so may see more than the usual amount of Arizona runners there this year. The problem could be that many of the horsemen cannot afford to ship their stables to New Mexico or California. Gain one, lose one is what we may have in the West. Les Bois Park in Idaho seems to have been reborn and coming back, while Yavapai could be gone. To most on these forums, small remote, minor tracks are of no interest or concern, but as racing fans perhaps they should be. With racings problems, track closings, no matter how small or remote, is a disturbing trend.

couldn't agree more. most of the county fairs have been shut down in AZ as well. Only 2 of them are up and running. I would imagine some of the AZ horses to head to Arapahoe or Ruidoso.

[trying2win]

Sorry to sound callous Craig, but I have no empathy for organizations trying to sponge off taxpayers by trying to maintain a non-profit status designation.

Here in our province of Alberta, due to spineless City of Edmonton and Provincial politicians, they've been letting Northlands Park enjoy a status as a non-profit organization for longer than I can remember. Northlands Park pays next-to-nothing in taxes, and the cowardly City of Edmonton councillors give them several million dollars of taxpayers dollars a year to fund some of their operations...like Rexall Place to benefit overpaid, multi-millionaire NHL hockey players. Northlands Park also operates the annual exhibition, and the brand new bunch of state-of-the-art buildings for holding trade shows, banquets etc, plus Northlands Park racetrack.

Northlands Park claims to be a non-profit agricultural society, so they should be entitled to a virtual tax-free place to operate. What a bunch of BS! In my view, Northlands Park is nothing but a gambling empire with their myriad of money-sucking slot machines at the racetrack, and taking advantage of naive, weak-willed gamblers who get addicted playing those #$%&@! machines. The slot machine revenue mainly benefits greedy horsemen. I don't see many offers to horse players with the slot machine loot, like lower takeouts or generous rebates for regular bettors.

It seems to me, that Northlands Park is a bunch of parasites, feeding of the beleagured taxpayers, thanks to those spineless politicians I mentioned at the start of this post. I think Northlands Park should pay property taxes like all the rest of us home owners. Why should our property taxes keep going up above the inflation rate every year, while Northlands Park pays about $1 a year for all the land they own?

My suggestions for Yavapai Downs:

1. Find a buyer for the racetrack.

2. Lobby the state government to have Indian casinos pay part of the huge amount of loot they rake in each month, to the owner of Yavapai Downs. That would offer a good enticement for someone to buy the racetrack.

3. Lobby the Neanderthal politicians at the state government to allow internet betting on horse races in state, and out of state again. That would bring Turf Paradise and Yavapai Downs more revenue, as well as the Arizona state government. What part of common sense do those Neanderthals not understand.

4. Lower the straight bet takeouts at Yavapai Downs. At 20 %, that's too high in my opinion! If you say that rate is declared by the state governmnt, then lobby then to lower it. That would increase betting, not lower it.

5. Have a local newspaper do an expose on state government wastefulness and extravagence, such as politicians voting for unnecessary programs or employees, overly-generous perks and pay for state government politicians and employees.


Good luck in your ventures at Yavapai Downs.


T2W
------------------------------------------------------------------------
~"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something,
sometime in your life."

--Winston Churchill

[forced89]

Originally Posted by trying2win

Sorry to sound callous Craig, but I have no empathy for organizations trying to sponge off taxpayers by trying to maintain a non-profit status designation.

I live in Texas and don't race in Arizona but nonetheless have a simple question. Are the taxpayers of Arizona better off with or without the economic impact of a race meet at the track?

[off'nclear]

Do you still host the school?

[speldedo]

Originally Posted by craigbraddick

Hi People:

I can assure you all the 2011 meet will take place as scheduled.

We are working with all levels of state and local government at the moment and have many good people on our side working for us.

Stay tuned!

Craig

Craig, we have not heard anything from you on this for some time now. Have you left the state for greener pastures? Maybe you can call the races at Les Bois this summer.

[off'nclear]

Of course the locals object. They moved "to the country" and don't like the traffic, noise, or smells. Like those who move near a flight path and object to the noise of planes. Or the ones who moved in next door to us on our Ca "rancho" (only in CA would something so small get such a designation)..zoned horse district...they knocked down the barn, installed a pool, and always complained about the horses surrounding them. People are such odd ducks.